


Departure

by AlphaScorpiixx



Series: Hollow Hearts [1]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games), Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Other tags to be added if needed, and no time travel, basically just the story of kh with bugs, but with changes where i saw fit, everyone's a bug, like kairi gets kidnapped a maximum of one time, nearly every character will appear eventually, there's already so much to deal with i can't handle time travel, we're getting ahead of ourselves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27168199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaScorpiixx/pseuds/AlphaScorpiixx
Summary: Xehanort, the Pale King of Hallownest, seeks to control the light of the Radiance. He has been experimenting with the Void and sending shades to prey on the bugs of the kingdom. After an encounter with a shade, Sora, Riku, and Kairi venture down into the depths of Hallownest to uncover the legacy of the Nailsages, stop Xehanort, and save the kingdom.
Series: Hollow Hearts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983103
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue: The Abyss

**Author's Note:**

> I saw some fanart of a KH/HK crossover a while ago and could not get it out of my mind. And now here I am, actually writing this. I have the whole story planned out and I've managed monthly updates so far, but that could change.
> 
> Anyway, this has been my favorite story idea so far, and I'm so excited for it! Enjoy!

A pale being stood on an ancient metal platform and gazed out at the vast lake. This far underground, no light from the surface touched the black water. The only illumination came from the windows of a great lighthouse rising from the shore behind him. Darkness swirled at the edges of the water where the tower’s beam could not penetrate.

He removed his hand from inside his robe and touched a finger to the water’s surface. A ripple spread outward, and a shadow appeared from the depths of the lake.

The shadow rose out of the water and coalesced into a solid substance. Arms formed out of the mass of writhing darkness, then claws, and finally a horned head. 

Six more shades emerged from the watery abyss. They drifted beside their sibling.

_ Light _ . The first shade turned its yellow eyes to the lighthouse.  _ Consume _ .

“Not yet,” the pale figure said, his voice harsh. The shades looked back at him with empty gazes. “There will be souls for you to take. But not here.” He eyed the shapes in front of him. “And seven will not be nearly enough.”

He bent down again and summoned more shadow creatures. They materialized across the entirety of the lake’s surface.

With an army of shades before him, he turned toward the cavern’s entrance. A wave of his hand, and the lighthouse’s gleam extinguished. The lake plunged into darkness.


	2. The Blue Lake

He sank into a dark abyss.

_Higher beings, these words are for you alone._ _Seven foretold of the kingdom’s ruin. Darkness spreads. The seals weaken._

_ Don’t be afraid.  _

_ Power sleeps within you. If you give it form, it will give you strength. _

_The power of the warrior. Invincible courage, a nail of terrible destruction_. _The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends, a shield to repel all._ _The power of the mystic. Inner strength, a spell of wonder and ruin._ _Choose well._

_ Keep your light burning strong. _

_ You hold the mightiest weapon of all.  _

_ So don’t forget: You are the one who will break the final seal. _

_ Are you ready . . . Sora? _

*

_ Clack! _

The wooden nails struck each other and bounced apart. Sora swung wide, but Riku met his blade again. The older bug countered while Kairi darted from the side. Sora leapt back from the double attack.

“Get him to the water, Riku!”

“Hey, no fair!” Sora yelled, his feet dangerously close to the lapping waves. He batted their nails away, but his friends continued their combined assault, driving him into the shallows.

_ Clack! Splish! Clack! _

Sora kicked his leg and splashed at Kairi but missed Riku’s nail. The wooden blade hit his shell, and Sora stumbled backward. The water closed over his head.

The lake was crystal clear. Sora could see Kairi’s pink body give Riku a high-five. He sank lower, and their shapes blurred. Wasn’t this the shallows? Why was he sinking?

_ A dark abyss, a fading light. _

_ Don’t forget . . . _

Sora resurfaced sputtering and coughing. The water came to his knees, hardly deep enough to risk drowning. He dragged himself back to shore while his friends touted their victory.

Riku twirled his nail in the air. “That’s three to one!” 

“Nuh uh. You two ganged up on me!”

“Want a rematch, then? How ‘bout a race?” Kairi asked, tossing her nail aside.

“You can, but I’m beat,” Riku said.

Sora collapsed onto the sand. “Me too. Next time.” He wasn’t that tired, but the cold water made him shiver. Something lurked in the back of his mind.

“Ok. Next time,” Kairi said and sat down beside him.

Sora lazily stirred the water. Pale glimmers of light shone through cracks in the cavern roof and shimmered on the glassy surface. The Blue Lake extended so far he couldn’t make out the opposite shore.

“How deep do you think the lake is?” he wondered, voice echoing on the cave’s vaulted walls. “It couldn’t be  _ that _ deep, because the city is right under us.”

“I don’t know,” Riku said. He stood with his arms crossed, gazing out across the water. “That’s just what people say. The city could be really far down.”

“What do you think it’s like?” Kairi said. “An entire city, so many people in one place. It’s hard to imagine.”

“But you and your grandmother came from the city,” Riku said. “So you’d know better than us.”

“Yeah! What’s the city like, Kairi?” Sora asked, but her smile fell.

“You’ll have to ask her. I don’t remember anything.”

“Aw, really?”

“Really.”

Her eyes were downcast. Sora felt a twinge of guilt for making her sad. “I heard one of the elders say the city is made up of giant glass spires,” Sora said. “They’re so tall it takes weeks to climb to the top.”

Kairi laughed. “You made that up.”

“I did not! That’s what I heard!”

Kairi gave him a playful shove, nearly pushing him back into the water. 

“Hey, watch it!” Sora splashed her, and she shrieked.

“Why do we have to imagine what the city’s like?” Riku asked, interrupting their water fight. “We should visit one day.”

Sora and Kairi both stared at him. “And how are we supposed to do that?” Sora said. “You wanna walk all the way there?”

“Well, no.” Riku said. “But maybe we could take the stagway.”

“Yeah, and when was the last time you saw a stag come to town?”

“I’d love to see the city. And the rest of the kingdom,” Kairi said, “but Sora’s right. Travellers never come to town anymore. The station’s been closed for ages.”

Riku frowned and said nothing. Sora’s gaze returned to the lake. Maybe travelling on foot wasn’t such a bad idea. The three of them navigated the crossroads all the time. But Riku looked lost in thought, so Sora didn’t say anything.

He noticed Kairi sift through the sand and pull something out of the water. “Whatcha got there, Kairi?” he asked.

“Just some shells.” She held out her hand and showed him her collection. Their water-smoothed surfaces gleamed with a pearly luster. 

“Wow, those look nice.”

“Thanks.” She grabbed a few more out of the water and put them in her pocket. “They’re for . . . something special. I’ll show you later.”

They sat on the shore awhile longer, admiring the quiet beauty of the lake. The light from the surface began to dim, and the three gathered their toy nails and made their way back to the crossroads.

*

The trio wandered through the twisting highways. Sora normally led the way, but today he hung back, his mind lingering their conversation. He paused for a moment and gazed at the ancient tunnels. Sections of bug-made stone and archways blended into the natural cave walls. He tried to imagine a time when the pathways were commonly travelled. Even though the three friends had walked to the Blue Lake countless times, they’d never met another traveller, but they’d also never strayed from their usual path.

“Hey!” Riku’s voice brought Sora’s focus back. “What are you hanging around for?”

Sora ran to catch up. “Sorry, I was just . . . thinking.”

“Really? That’s new.”

Sora huffed but ignored the teasing. “Where’d Kairi go?”

“She went on ahead. Said her grandmother expected her back soon.”

“Oh. Hey, Riku, do you think—huh?” Sora stopped. Something echoed in his head, a voice or a whisper.

“Something wrong? Sora?”

“I thought I heard something.” Sora crept toward one of the branching paths. He’d dried off from his dip in the lake, but the shivers returned.

_ Light. _

“There it was again!”

“Are you sure?” Riku said from behind him. “I don’t—ah!”

Darkness swirled deeper in the tunnel, and a shape appeared. It floated above the ground, empty eyes staring at the two of them.

_ Light. _

It drifted closer. Sora stood transfixed by the strange creature, like a shadow given form.

“What . . . is that?” Riku whispered. He raised his wooden nail.

Sora didn’t answer. The sight of the creature struck a dim familiarity in his mind. He’d seen it somewhere before, perhaps in a dream. Despite the quiet warning in his head, he stepped closer. The creature’s eyes turned to him.

_ Light . . . consume . . . soul. _

It lunged forward.

_ CONSUME. _

The scream jolted through Sora’s mind. He dropped his toy nail and grabbed his head.

“Sora, run!” Riku yelled. He yanked Sora’s jacket, and the two boys sprinted back through the caves, icy cold air at their backs.

They turned a corner, and Sora caught sight of the town’s gate at the end of the tunnel. A loose stone caught his foot. He fell. 

“Sora!” Riku called. Sora looked up. Riku had made it to the gate and was frantically waving Sora forward. But the creature loomed overhead, claws extended, and dove toward him.


	3. Darkness Gathers

_ Darkness. _

_ And light. _

_ Don’t forget . . . _

A flash of light, and weapon materialized in his hand—a nail, bright and blazing silver. 

Sora swiped at the creature. The weapon cleaved through its body, and it vanished in a cloud of shadows.

Sora jumped to his feet. He held the nail in front of him, but the creature didn’t reappear. His breathing was ragged and his arm shook. He lowered the nail.

“Sora!” Riku ran back down the tunnel. “Let’s go!” He seized the younger boy by the hood and hauled him to the gate. They made it safely through, and Riku slammed it shut.

“Wha . . . what was that thing?” Sora’s voice trembled from both fear and exertion. 

“I don’t know, but where did you get  _ that _ ?”

“Uh.” Sora looked down at the nail in his hands. The blade no longer glowed, but the polished surface still reflected the lamplight. “It just . . . appeared to me.”

Riku lifted his hand as if to touch it but pulled back. An unreadable look crossed his face before he turned away. “C’mon, let’s go find Kairi.”

Sora followed Riku down the empty road through town. When they passed the stag station, he saw the door was locked tight, as it had been for as long as Sora could remember.

“The town’s so quiet. Where is everyone?”

“I don’t know,” Riku said. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

Sora tightened his grip on the nail hilt. He glanced at the shadows, but they remained lifeless. “What if it’s that creature again?” he whispered.

Riku tapped his own nail on Sora’s, wood against silver. “Then we fight it.”

Sora tried to match the determination in his friend’s face. They continued down the silent streets, and a shiver ran down his shell. The town, though small, was never this empty. Children played their games, adults shared news around the fountain. Even without travelers from other parts of the kingdom, the streets always brimmed with life.

Something wasn’t right.

Sora breathed in deeply to steady himself. The air tasted crisp and cold, like ice could form and rim the windows. When they arrived at the fountain in the town’s center, the water was still and lifeless, almost frozen.

“Kairi!”

“ _ Shhhh _ !” Riku clapped his free hand over Sora’s mouth. “You’re going to attract attention.”

Sora pushed the hand away. “Who’s attention?” He waved his arms around the empty square. “ _ No one’s _ here! This place is de—"

“Sora! Riku!”

They spun and saw Kairi sprinting toward them. Relief flooded through Sora’s body. She flung her arms around the boys and sobbed. 

“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere! I thought you’d been taken like everyone else!”

“Wha-what?” Sora pulled away so he could breathe. “What do you mean taken?”

“Kairi!” A voice whisper-shouted from down the street. “Bring them and come inside!”

Sora barely had a chance to process the words before Kairi pulled them toward her house. Her grandmother waited inside, posture rigid with agitation.

“Quickly, quickly!” the old bug waved them through the door and locked it behind them. “We must move before the shades return!”

“Shades?” Riku asked. “You mean that thing that attacked us?”

Kairi’s grandmother didn’t respond. She stared out the windows with unnerving intensity, eyes darting back and forth. Her demeanor worsened Sora’s unease. Kairi’s grandmother was such a calm and gentle bug. He eyed the shadows, but nothing moved.

“Hey. What about—” Riku started again, but she shushed him.

After another minute, she yanked the curtains closed. “We should be safe for a little while. Something has scared them off. But they’ll be back. In the meantime, we must prepare.”

“Prepare for what?” Sora asked. He glanced at Kairi, looking for answers, or at least similar confusion. But tears welled up in her eyes, and she wouldn’t meet his gaze. 

Grandmother waved them over to the next room. “Please, sit. There is much to tell you and little time.”

“You have seen the state of the village,” she began after they were all seated around the small table. “It happened a few hours earlier, while you three were at the Blue Lake. Yes, I know of your outings. That was likely what saved you.”

“From . . . that thing?” Sora whispered. He tried to keep the tremor out of his voice, with little success.

“Yes, the shades are creatures of darkness. They hunger for soul, for any glimmer of life to consume, as they have done to nearly every bug in town. As long as their soul is gone, no one will wake.”

“They’re all gone,” Kairi murmured, clinging to her grandmother’s arm, tears freely flowing now.

Sora struggled for breath. The stillness of the streets, the cold air wrapping around his body, the the claws of that  _ thing _ bearing down—

“We can fight them!” Riku shouted. He jumped to his feet, knocking the chair back. “Sora’s nail destroyed the one that attacked us. Sora, show them your nail!”

“What nail?” Kairi asked. She wiped the tears from her eyes. “What happened to you guys?”

He swallowed past the tightness in his throat. “Um, it’s . . . it’s gone.” His fingers uncurled from unconscious fists, the gleaming blade nowhere in sight, as if it had never existed.

“Your nail,” Grandmother said, “it came to you when you were in danger?” She looked at Sora with a curious gaze, a mix of surprise and wonder. Riku and Kairi were staring, too, Kairi with curiosity, but Riku with expectation. He tried not to squirm.

“Yeah, it just kind of appeared. I don’t know how to get it back.”

“Picture the nail in your mind. Think of it as part of you, a weapon that heeds only your call.”

He almost asked what she knew about the nail, but a spark seemed to glow in the back of his mind. Sora pushed back the gnawing fear, held out his hand, and concentrated on that glimmer of light. Memories came back, the weight of the hilt in his hand, the glowing silver blade, the way it cut through the darkness in one slice.

Nothing. His hand remained empty.

“Sorry,” Sora muttered. “I don’t know how to get it back.”

“That’s alright, Sora,” Grandmother reassured, “We’ll—”

She cut herself off, eyes snapping to the window. The air grew cold again, puffs of breath around everyone’s mouths. Kairi grabbed Sora’s hand, and he squeezed it tight. A whisper brushed his mind, a horrid gloom compared to the spark.

The shades.

“They’ve returned,” Grandmother whispered. She ushered them up. “We must go,  _ now _ .”

“Where?” Riku asked as they all crowded around the door.

“There is a place just outside of town—a shaman’s lair. We’ll be safe there. Now, come.”


	4. The Ancestral Mound

They left the town through the main gate. The chill wrapped around the group, sapping all warmth. Beside him, Kairi shivered. He’d lent her his jacket, but that didn’t seem to ward off the cold. Her grandmother led the way through the tunnels, directing them with the certainty of someone who’d taken the path numerous times. Sora had never seen her leave town, but he trusted her judgement. 

As the only one with a weapon—even just a toy—Riku took up the rear guard. He watched their back with a determined gaze, eyes scanning the shadows for any hint of movement.

The trail of lumafly lamps ended, replaced by flickering torchlight. Sora brushed his hand along the rough stone. In their adventures outside of town, Sora had squeezed through much tighter tunnels, but now the cave walls seemed to close in, dark and suffocating. Only the presence of the others eased his breathing. His heart ached with a new longing, a desperate need for the nail’s bright silver light.

The passage finally widened, and a structure came into sight. A building of sorts, or what Sora guessed was a building, a stark contrast to the small, shell-shaped houses back in the village. The bulk of it disappeared deeper into the darkness of the cave, but light spilled from the entrance. Wooden posts decorated with masks framed the entrance. He tried not to stare at their black, lifeless eyes. He glanced at Riku, but the other boy was focused on watching their trail.

Sora hesitated. The Ancestral Mound. The bugs of the town knew of their reclusive neighbor but rarely spoke of them. Entry in the mound was forbidden without permission from the shaman, but Riku had dared him to try once. Sora had never made it, scared off by those sightless masks before he even got close.

Grandmother approached without pause, leaving the kids no choice but to follow. The floor was covered with more masks carved right into the stone. Sora was too busy trying not to step on the eyes that he didn’t see the bug waiting for them.

“Ohoho, visitors. You must be from the town.”

Sora started and nearly bumped into Riku, who poked his back in return. The speaker wore a curved shell on their head, like a snail’s. Beady eyes peered at the group from an unreadable face, and they held wooden staff in their hand, also adorned with a mask.

“Shaman,” Grandmother addressed the bug. “We’ve come for temporary shelter. I’m sure you’ve noticed the . . . disturbance?”

“Hm, yes,” the shaman said, a necklace of white masks shaking as they spoke. “The darkness awakens again. It has already taken the townsfolk, I assume?”

Grandmother nodded solemnly. The kids didn’t speak. Kairi reached for Sora’s hand, and he gave it a squeeze. He grabbed Riku’s with his other hand, the three of them linked together.

The shaman raised their staff, and a wall of light sealed the entrance. Then they guided the others deeper into the mound.

Kairi tugged her grandmother’s arm and whispered, “Grandma, what’s going on? Why are we here? And what’s going to happen to the village?”

“Peace, my dear. We are safe for now, but the danger will return again soon, and you must be prepared.”

The entryway opened into a larger room. The wooden walls seemed to be hastily constructed, beams hammered together at strange angles. But the structure held, and the torchlight cast long shadows all around.

A fire crackled in a hearth at the center of the room. A few benches surrounded it. Sora and Riku took a seat on one while Kairi sat next to her grandmother. The shaman stood by the hallway, watching the entrance.

Sora leaned close to the fire. The shadow’s cold aura still lingered, a chill that he couldn’t escape. The fire warmed him a little, but the most comfort came from the presence of Riku and Kairi. He rested against his friend’s side, and Riku hand rubbed his back.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” Sora shivered. “Just cold.”

“So,” the shaman said, turning to face the group. “The darkness awakens, and the shades have returned.

“If those things attacked the town, what are the rest of us going to do?” Riku asked. If he felt any unease at entering the mound, he didn’t show it. Sora admired his confidence. All Sora could do was slump against the bench’s armrest and try not to let his nerves show.

“Hmm, a predicament indeed. A Nailsage is what we need, though any knight would do.”

“This boy, Sora, says he has a nail,” Grandmother said to the shaman. “But he needs some help summoning it again.”

“Ohoho. A new nail wielder? Interested in becoming a Nailsage, boy?” The shaman peered into Sora’s face, beady eyes unblinking. Sora tried not to recoil and held his gaze. “Hmm. A strong soul in this one. Well, stand up, boy. Let’s see what you can do.”

“Uh, okay.” Sora let the shaman lead him away from the hearth to an empty spot in the large room. “I don’t know if I can do it again.”

“Just try once more,” Grandmother said. 

Once again, Sora closed his eyes and sought the light in his mind. It sparkled behind his eyelids and danced in his heart. He reached for it, but it slipped out of his grasp.

Sora opened his eyes. “Ugh, it’s just not coming. Sorry— _ahhggg._ ”

A burst of light sparked from the tip of the shaman staff and shot towards him. On instinct, Sora’s hand whipped up to block the attack. Two lights—one white and one silver—blazed in the room, brighter than the burning hearth and torches.

Riku, Kairi, and Grandmother shielded their eyes. When the light dissipated and they dropped their hands, they saw Sora crouched in a defensive stance, nail in hand.

“Sora!” his friends both cried. They ran to his side, mindful of the scorches on the floor, but there wasn’t a mark on Sora. They stopped short at the sight on the nail in his hand.

“Whoa,” Kairi whispered, mesmerized by the glittering blade. Riku lifted his hand again and his fingers twitched, but, like before, dropped his hand.

“What did you do that for?” Kairi demanded the shaman, who gave a shrug.

“He needed help summoning the blade. Though I did not expect you to be the _Pure Nail’s_ chosen, ohoho.” The shaman tapped their staff on the floor. Sora flinched, expecting another blast, but the shaman only turned to Kairi’s grandmother. “I suppose you knew about this?”

She shook her head. She hadn’t moved from her seat on the bench. “No. I only knew he’d summoned a nail. I had no idea it would be this.”

“So . . . this is the Pure Nail?” Sora asked, looking between Grandmother and the shaman. “What exactly does that mean?”

Kairi’s grandmother closed her eyes and bowed her head. After a moment, she looked up again. She spoke, and her voice carried a heavy weight.

“Long ago, the Great Nailsages, knights who fought with shining nails, protected Hallownest. They pushed back the darkness and locked it in the deepest corner of the kingdom. If you’ve been granted one of these nails, then there is still hope. The Pure Nail has revealed itself again, and the sages’ legacy is not lost.”

“Even among knights, that is no ordinary nail.” the shaman said. “The Pure Nail chooses its wielder. It’s light can cleave through the deepest darkness.”

The Pure Nail. Sora stared at the weapon in his hand. Underneath the silver sheen, he could see markings etched into the surface, lines and whorls that seemed to dance when the blade moved. He opened his fingers, and the nail disappeared, its light leaving an afterimage in his eyes.

“Sora, listen to me,” Grandmother continued. “Only the Great Nailsages can destroy the shades. With the power of the Pure Nail, you will be safe, but the rest of the kingdom is still in danger. I know of a group of knights who reside within the Royal Gardens. You must find them and deliver them the Pure Nail.”

Knights, nails, shades. So much swirled in Sora’s head. How had he’d been living in the town all his life with no thought of anything beyond his small world? Riku had dreams of traveling beyond their home, not him. Now he cringed when he remembered dismissing those dreams.

But holding the Pure Nail in his hand and basking in its light—something new filled his heart. A sense of purpose. If Riku wanted to see more of the kingdom, then this was his chance, and Sora would help him do it.

He looked between his friends, then at the shaman and Kairi’s grandmother. “Okay,” he said. “When do we leave?”

“Soon, but you can stay here for a while longer if you need,” Grandmother said. “The journey is not long, but—”

“No, if those shades could attack again, then we should leave now,” Sora said. “How do we get to the Gardens?”

“Go to Greenpath,” Grandmother said. “The Mosskins there have an agreement with the knights. They will help you enter the Gardens.”

“Greenpath, Mosskins, Gardens,” Sora repeated. “Got it.”

He smiled at Riku and Kairi, his friends who always stood by his side. He dismissed the nail so he could hold their hands in his. A trio, always together.

“Well, if you three are so eager to leave, I have some things that might help.” The shaman disappeared deeper into the temple. Silence fell over the group, heavy with all the revelations of the last few minutes. Sora’s purpose hadn’t wavered, but he still needed to sit down to process it all.

Kairi turned to her grandmother. “Grandma, how do you know all of this?”

“I spent my youth traveling the kingdom, and I’ve learned a thing or two along the way. But that is a tale for another time, Kairi. You must be going. The shades will return soon.”

“What about you? How are you going to stay safe?”

“The mound is spelled,” the shaman said, returning with two extra nails and a folded paper in their hands. “A barrier of protection to keep the shades out. But my power only extends so far. It will be of little use if the shades are loose upon the kingdom.” They handed the paper to Sora and a nail to Kairi and Riku. “A map to guide you to Greenpath and nails for protection. They will not work against the shades, but there still could be other dangers.”

Riku set his toy nail on the bench and took the offered blade. It didn’t glow like the Pure Nail, but it was long and sharp and would serve him if he needed it. Kairi accepted her, too, after a moment of hesitation.

They walked back down the hallway to the entrance. Sora stood on the mound’s threshold. The darkness loomed before him. He breathed in and reached for the light inside his heart. The Pure Nail flashed into existence, and he gripped it tight. He glanced at Riku and Kairi. They nodded.

“We’re ready,” Sora said.

Kairi threw her arms around her grandmother. “I’ll miss you.”

“Me too, dear. I love you very much. I wish there was more time for me to explain, but you must go now. Sora, Riku, keep her and yourselves safe.”

“We will,” the two said together. Grandmother kissed Kairi’s head, then they parted, and the trio set off into the waiting dark.

*

She watched as her granddaughter and her friends left the mound behind. Just children, bestowed with a great burden. They would find the knights, she assured herself, and the three would be safe again.

“A strange light within that girl,” the shaman mused from behind her. She turned swiftly, but the shaman merely spoke with curiosity.

“What do you know of it?” she asked. 

“Only that the shades covet it. She will be hunted.”

“They will all be hunted,” she said. “But the sages will protect them.”

“If they are still around. I cannot leave my responsibility to this mound, and I can tell that you have not traveled in many years. Some time has passed since they’ve been seen in the Crossroads. They may not even exist anymore.” The shaman tapped their staff and turned away from the entry before she could reply. “In either case, the boy is the Pure Nail’s chosen. It will not leave his side, even if the other knights wish to claim it.”

 _But he’s just a_ child. But she did not speak. The shaman retreated into the back rooms, leaving her standing alone. She looked back outside. _They will be safe._ Hallownest had its knights to defend it, and the children would have no reason to fight.


	5. Encounter

“Sora, do you even know where we are going?” Kairi asked.

Sora glanced at their surroundings. The tunnels all looked the same, stalactites growing from the stone and the occasional fencepost half-sunk into the ground. At least the lamplight returned to light their path, the pale glow a welcome change from the harsh orange torchlight. The air warmed the farther they traveled, but not enough to ease Sora’s discomfort.

He looked back down at the map. A rough drawing of the Crossroads on tattered paper, it wasn’t the best guide, but it was all they had.

“Um, yes?”

“Here, let me see.” Riku snagged the map out of Sora’s grasp.

“Hey! The shaman gave me the map, so I’m the map person!” He tried to grab the map back, but Riku held it away with his slightly longer reach. An unfair advantage, in Sora’s opinion.

“You can’t be the Pure Nail deliverer  _ and _ the map person,” Riku said. “We should each have a role.”

“Fine,” Sora huffed. “You get the map.”

“Then what’s my role?” Kairi asked, arms crossed. “Tagalong?”

“You can watch our backs,” Riku said. He tapped his nail against hers. “Make sure nothing sneaks up on us.”

Kairi didn’t seem too thrilled with her assigned task, but she made no argument. She followed along behind the boys while Riku, with the map now in his possession, took the lead. Sora hung back so he could walk beside Kairi. She hadn’t spoken much since they left the mound behind.

“Hey, are you doing okay?” he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She leaned into his touch. “Yeah. I just wish we didn’t have to go alone. I wish Grandma was here. I hope she’s not worried about us.”

“I’m sure she’s doing fine. Besides, this will be a quick trip.” Sora smiled. Kairi returned it, though hers wavered.

They let Riku pick their route whenever the path split. He seemed confident about their directions, and neither Sora nor Kairi wanted to argue. Kairi was the only one who’d ever been farther than the outskirts of their village, but she didn’t remember the journey from the city. Sora’s head spun when he tried to keep track of their passage. If they got lost, there’d be no getting back to the village or the mound.

Finally the caves widened. They emerged at the base of a trench cut into the stone. It extended in both directions, with many tunnels dug into the sides at various heights. A network of chains and pulleys suspended platforms from the ceiling. Most were intact, but some chains had broken and their platforms lay scattered on the ground.

“It’s some sort of lift system,” Sora realized. The platforms carried passengers up to the higher levels, or down to where they stood.

“These chains are so old,” Kairi said. “I wonder if it even works anymore.”

“Well, this is the way to go.” Riku pointed to a ledge across from them and about halfway up the trench. “There’s the entrance to Greenpath. We’re getting pretty close.”

“And there’s no other path?” Sora peered over Riku’s shoulder so he could see the map.

“Not according to this map.”

“I guess that shaman really doesn’t get out much,” Kairi added, “if he thinks this is a viable route.” She picked up one of the fallen chains. It was more rust than metal at this point.

“If it’s our only option, we better figure out how to get the lifts working,” Sora said. “Any ideas?”

“Looks like there are some winches over there.” Riku pointed to a fenced area off to the side. It looked like an operator’s station, where the chains connected to multiple winches and levers. “Let’s see if they still work.”

They sorted through the chains for any connected to a platform close enough to their destination. They found one, finally, after several minutes of rattling chains and testing rusted winches. The noise echoed through the trench and shattered the heavy silence of the Crossroads. If shades hunted by sound, they would surely be on their trail now. Sora tried to quell his nervousness at the thought.

“Okay, Kairi, you’ll go first,” Riku said, “and Sora, you help me turn the crank.”

“Wait, how are we all going to get up there if someone has to stay here to work the thing?” Kairi asked.

“Uh, hm.” Riku frowned and looked around at the lifts. “Good point.”

“These winches lock into place, right?” Sora said. “We could raise multiple, lock them in, and then just jump.”

Riku and Kairi shared a look. Riku shrugged. “Worth a shot.”

“Okay,” Kairi said as she stepped onto the first platform. “But I don’t know if I can jump that far.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll catch you!” Sora reassured her, smiling brightly. Her returning expression was not optimistic.

Together, Sora and Riku turned the crank. They strained against the rusted gears, but, ever so slowly, the platform rose. Once it was high enough for them to climb on, they locked the winch in place and moved onto the next. Though with how much effort was needed to even get the jammed thing to move, Sora doubted the locking was even necessary.

They were working on the third and final one when ice ran over Sora’s shell. 

_ Light. _

Sora’s head snapped up. “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” Riku asked, looking around for what had spooked Sora.

“I heard another shade,” he whispered. 

Riku tensed and raised his nail. “Go protect Kairi.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Go! I’ll be right behind you.” Riku didn’t wait for Sora to follow his command. He shoved him out of the way and headed back toward the tunnel.

“Riku!” Sora yelled after him, but he didn’t come back. Sora grumbled under his breath but did as Riku instructed. He ran to the lowest platform and lifted himself up. The platform swung under his weight, but the chains held.

“What’s Riku doing?” Kairi called down. She clung to the chain and watched Sora heave himself higher.

“I heard a shade,” Sora gasped out as he climbed onto the last platform. Kairi grabbed his hand and helped him up. “We have to go.”

“We can’t leave Riku!”

“I’m coming!” 

They both looked down. Riku was running back to the platforms when shadows swarmed around his feet.

“ _ Riku _ !”

Sora didn’t realize what he was doing until he was already in motion. He leapt to the lower platforms, legs jarring with every impact. He landed on the ground and stumbled into a sprint. Kairi yelled after him, but Sora was focused on Riku and on the shade that had now materialized.

Riku hacked madly at the shade, but every swing passed through its shadowy body. The creature slashed at him. He managed to twist out of the way, until his back hit the wall.

The shade attacked. Riku dove out of the way.

Sora leapt between them, Pure Nail raised. Claws glanced off metal, and the shade recoiled. Sora braced his hands on the hilt, but the shade didn’t strike again. It’s yellow eyes burned and fixated on the glowing blade.

_ Soul _ .

“Stay away from my friends!” he shouted and stabbed the silver blade through the shadows. A sharp scream pierced Sora’s mind as the shade vaporized. The shadows around him twitched, but nothing reappeared. Still, he kept the Pure Nail in his hand. The blade’s usual gleam seemed brighter, basking him and Riku in an aura of silver.

Sora extended his hand to help Riku stand up, but the other bug shrugged him off.

“I told you to protect Kairi!” 

“You were in danger, too!” 

“I can take care of myself.” Riku grabbed his fallen nail and headed for the platforms. Sora frowned at his friend’s back. 

“ _ Thanks for the rescue, Sora. _ Oh, you’re welcome, Riku,” he mumbled under his breath before following Riku.

“Sora! Riku! Are you alright?” Kairi yelled down. She was still hanging onto the chain, leaning so far off the platform Sora worried she’d fall.

“It’s okay, Kairi. We’re fine now,” Riku called back. He and Sora watched the shadows as they made their way up to her. Nothing else appeared, and their tension slowly eased. 

Kairi hugged Riku, then immediately punched his arm. “Don’t ever do that again!”

Riku at least looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, but someone needed to stop it—”

“But you  _ can’t _ do that,” Kairi pleaded. “Riku, did your nail even do anything to that shade?”

Riku looked down at his weapon. The edges were sharp, but the metal did glow like the Pure Nail. “No, it didn’t,” he murmured.

“If regular nails can’t harm shades, then there’s nothing you and I can do against them,” Kairi whispered. She hugged him again, pulling him close and laying her head on his shoulder. “Please don’t go off on your own again. We have to stick together.”

“We will,” he said. He wrapped his arms around her small body. When she stepped back, Riku looked over at Sora. “Hey, Sora. Thanks for saving me.”

Sora grinned. “I’m always here for you, Riku.”

The three of them finally climbed to their goal. The beginning of the tunnel was bug-made archway. A signpost marked the edge of the Crossroads. Beyond it, a bridge crossed a small river running through the caves. Vines twisted up the supports, fed by the constant flow of water.

Sora reached up and brushed away the leaves on the sign so they could read the inscription.  _ Travellers of Hallownest, descend through verdant wilds and fungal groves to the city at this kingdom’s heart. There all wishes shall be granted, all truths revealed. _

“This is the Pilgrim’s Way,” Riku said, nodding toward the path. “According to the map, it leads into Greenpath.”

“Sounds like it could also lead to the city,” Kairi said. She and Sora glanced at Riku, but he was focused on the path ahead.

“We have a mission to complete,” he said. “Sightseeing can wait.”

Sora touched Riku’s arm with his free hand. “Well see the city one day.”

“Yeah.” A wistful look crossed his face, then it was replaced with a grin. “We’d probably end up there anyway if you were giving directions.” He ruffled the younger boy’s already messy hair. 

“Hey!” Sora swatted his hand away and ducked out of reach. But he couldn’t help grinning. Kairi giggled, and the kids’ infectious laughter echoed through the caves. Sora’s nerves finally relaxed. After another close encounter, it felt good to smile.

After a moment the three fell silent again, the playful mood fading away. 

“We better get going before another shade comes,” Kairi said. “Sora, you should be the one watching our backs, since your nail can destroy them.”

“Okay, but then what’s your job?”

Kairi shrugged. “It’s okay. I don’t need one.”

“You sure?”

“Hey,” Riku called. He’d already made his way past the arch and to the bridge. “I thought we were going.”

Kairi caught up with him, but Sora cast a glance back to the Crossroads. He fiddled with his necklace and tightened his grip on his nail. In the short time he’d had it, the blade had become a comforting presence. It was his own personal light source to push back the dark, and the only thing keeping him and his friends safe.

“Sora? You coming?” Riku and Kairi called.

“Yeah!” Sora cast one last glance back the way they came. He didn’t know how long it would be before he saw those familiar roads again. But now was not the time for hesitation.

He chased after his friends, and they crossed the bridge into the wilds.

*

Little things in the undergrowth. Little creatures, creeping and chittering, making their presence known to anything listening.

He was listening. He was sleeping, but he listened—always listening for things nearby. He had hunted, but not recently. His claws itched and he hungered. Always hungered. The urge never left him, even in sleep, even in dreams.

The critters were closer. Three voices. Young. Easy to stalk and surprise. Hardly worth the effort to hunt them, but now he was awake and his belly was hungry.

He eased his body out of his den, a whisper among the leaves. Prey had wandered into his territory, and it was his duty to hunt them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been managing monthly updates, but that might change now that my classes have started. I'm still aiming for that schedule even if they're not as regular.
> 
> Thanks for reading along! I'd love to hear what you think about the story so far!


	6. The Land of Unn

They emerged into another world. 

Sora stumbled forward, awestruck by the sheer amount of greenery. Moss and lichen covered every inch of surface, vines dangled from the ceiling in place of the Crossroads’ stalactites, and water cascaded into small pools, feeding the lush plant life.

“So this is Greenpath,” Riku said, eyes as wide as Sora’s to drink in the sights all around them.

“Are . . . are we even still in Hallownest?” Sora said. There was no way this place could exist so close to their home. The drab stone of the Crossroads seemed so lifeless in comparison. 

Kairi touched the vines snaking up the walls. Her hand sank into the thick layer of leaves. “There’s so much life. It’s amazing.”

They stared for a few minutes longer, before Sora remembered they had a reason for being here. “Well, we’ve made it to Greenpath. Any idea where we’re supposed to go from here?”

“Hm.” Riku tapped his nail on the ground as he looked around. “Kairi’s grandma said to talk to the Mosskins. So we find them, and they’ll take us to the Nailsages.”

“Sounds like a plan, I guess,” Kairi said. Sora nodded, and the three set off.

They followed what appeared to be a road. The Pilgrim’s Way, Sora figured, though most of the stones were cracked and overgrown. They made slow progress, with Sora stopping to gawk every few seconds. Each new sight stole his breath. A flock of maskflies perched on a branch above their heads. They fluttered off when the three got close. Sora made to chase after them, but Riku yanked his hood.

“Watch out!”

Sora glanced down and jumped back. He’d nearly fallen off the road and into a pool of burning acid. 

“First time away from the Crossroads and you nearly fall into acid,” Riku said, knocking him lightly on the head. The boys laughed, but Kairi didn’t join in.

Sora glanced back. Kairi was lagging behind, eyes on the ground and mouth pressed into a thin line.

“Kairi, are you okay?” he called.

“Yeah, I’m . . .” She shuddered slightly and put a hand to her head. “There’s . . . so much . . .” She squeezed her eyes shut and her breathing quickened. Sora and Riku were by her side in an instant.

She swayed on her feet, and Riku helped her sit on the ground. Sora stood by her side, unsure how to help. But her eyes opened again, and she took a deep breath.

“I’m okay now, I was just a little lightheaded.”

“You sure?” Sora asked.

She smiled up at him as Riku helped her to her feet. “Yeah.”

The road continued onward, until the overgrowth parted around a bug-made structure. A small shelter enclosed a bench. Most of the walls were overcome with vines, but the bench was untouched. Riku and Kairi leaned their nails against the wall, and the kids rested for a few moments.

Kairi leaned back on the bench and admired the plant life around them. “I wish Grandma was here to see this. She would love this place.”

“Maybe we can all take a trip, once the shades are gone!” Sora said.

“What, you want to make Kairi’s elderly grandma climb up those old lifts?” Riku teased.

“Well, we could find another route!” Sora insisted. “This place is huge! There’s gotta be more ways to get here.”

Kairi giggled at his enthusiasm. “We’ll find some way.” Her gaze drifted off. “I wonder if she has any stories of the city when we used to live there.” she said.

“You never asked about them?” Riku said.

She shrugged. “I never really wondered about it. I liked living in the village and playing with you guys. But I’ll ask her when we get ba— _ ah!” _

Kairi shot up straight. Her head whipped back and forth, wide eyes searching for . . . something.

Riku touched her shoulder. “Kairi, are you—”

“Shh.” She raised her hand to silence him. A few seconds passed, and her body relaxed slightly. “I thought I heard something.”

“A shade?” Riku asked quietly. “Sora, did you feel anything?”

Sora shook his head. He hadn’t felt a shade’s presence since their last encounter. But his fingers flexed, ready to summon the Pure Nail.

“Wait, it’s back!” Kairi pressed her hands to her head. “Something’s close!”

_ “Trespassers,”  _ a voice hissed from the underbush.

The trio shot to their feet. Kairi and Riku reached for their weapons, and the Pure Nail flashed into Sora’s hand.

“Who’s there?” Riku called. The three waited for an attack, but none came.

The voice didn’t have the same unnatural quality as the shades, but Sora held the Pure Nail aloft and tried to keep his hands from shaking. He scanned their surroundings for any sign of movement.

_ “Who’s there? _ ” Riku repeated. Still no one answered. He started forward, but Kairi caught his arm.

“We go together,” she whispered. Riku nodded.

The ruined structure disappeared under the thick foliage as they stepped off the road and deeper into the wilds. Kairi kept to one side and Riku to the other, with Sora and the Pure Nail in the middle. The air temperature didn’t drop to freezing as it had when the shades appeared. This was some other presence.

Sora still wondered what would happen if a shade appeared. They consumed soul, the source of life. Would the plants wither and die?

Eyes peered through the underbrush in the corners of his vision, but every time he glanced their way they disappeared. Was that sound the rustle of leaves or a voice? A shiver ran down his shell.

The leaves burst into motion. What Sora thought were plants were now bugs, grabbing at Sora’s arms, preventing him from swinging his blade.

“Hey, get off!” Sora yelled, but the Mosskins didn't listen, or care. Others jumped out of the bushes to seize Riku and Kairi, disarming their nails before they could even raise them.

“Let us go!” Riku tried to kick his captors, but they pushed him to the ground.

A tall bug emerged from the undergrowth. A dense layer of moss covered their body, and they hefted a nail and shield. Thick foliage obscured most of their face, making it impossible to read their expression. 

“Trespassers in our land, you shall be punished,” their voice boomed, shaking the leaves on their body.

“What? No! W-we wasn’t trespassing! Well, maybe—”

“Sora!” Kairi chided. Of the three, she hadn’t tried to fight, and she let the Mosskins take her nail. “Don’t make them mad!”

“Silence! Those who stray from the White King’s roads shall face the law of Unn!” The knight raised their nail, then stopped. “That . . . that is the Pure Nail. So this tiny one is the Pure Nail’s chosen?” 

“The . . . ?” Sora’s heart pounded wildly, he almost couldn’t think. He swallowed his nervousness. “Yeah—Yes. I wield the Pure Nail.”

Though the Mosskins restrained his arm to prevent him from using it, their gazes were transfixed by its pale glow. The knight lowered their weapon and didn’t speak for a few moments. They looked at the blade, then at Sora, and he wished people would stop staring at him like something to be examined. 

“Hmph. A child like you is hardly worthy of such an honor. The others looked more like proper warriors.” 

“Others? So you know of the Nailsages!” Riku said, still fighting against his captors. “We’ve come to find them! They can help save the kingdom!”

The Moss Knight laughed, deep and humorless. “The kingdom? And what has the kingdom of Hallownest done for us? The mind of Unn shaped these caverns. From moss and leaf our life is drawn. The Pale King would see our land reduced to fit his “civilized” kingdom.”

“But—”

“No. You may be the Pure Nail’s chosen, but you have strayed from the White King’s roads. We Children of Unn don’t concern ourselves with the business of the Nailsages. Return to your own caverns, outsider.”

The Mosskins released them with a shove back toward the Pilgrim’s Way. Kairi grabbed her fallen nail, and Riku raised his own but did not attack.

“Return, outsiders,” the Mosskins hissed. They made a leafy, living wall between them and the knight. “Return to the Hallownest.”

The Mosskins retreated, blending back into the foliage. The Moss Knight turned away from the kids, but Kairi shouted at their back.

“Wait! You may not consider yourself part of Hallownest, but you’re still in danger!”

The knight paused. “And what ‘danger’ do you speak of, little outsider, besides the threat of other trespassers?”

“Haven’t you seen them? The shades, creatures that crawl out the darkness. They’ll invade your caverns and steal your soul!”

From the undergrowth, a Mosskin hissed at her, “Unn will protect us from the darkness. Unn has always—”

“The shades  _ will _ come,” Kairi said. “We know how they steal soul. Unn can’t help you.” The knight bristled at this statement, and the bushes rustled. Kairi ignored them and nodded toward Sora. “But he can. Like you said, he has the Pure Nail.”

The knight looked back at the weapon in Sora’s grip. The Moss Knight’s eyes reflected the light, finally allowing Sora a glimpse of their troubled expression.

“You  _ have _ to help us, or else the shades will destroy your home,” Kairi said. She stood her ground against the knight’s glare.

Then the knight spoke, heavy with finality. “Your cause is lost. There are no Nailsages anymore.”

Sora’s heart stopped. Kairi wavered, and Riku nearly dropped his nail.

_ “What?”  _ Sora gasped out. “Th-that can’t be! The shaman said—”

“You say we lie?” They glared down at Sora. “The Nailsages are gone. They haven’t been seen in Hallownest in years. Their lands lie empty, their caves returning to the keeping of Unn. There is no hope for you.”

This couldn’t be. Sora’s pulse roared in his ears, drowning out Kairi and Riku’s reactions. After coming this far for nothing? The shades would ravage the kingdom with no one to stop them.

But the Pure Nail could. And the blade still glowed in his hand. His fingers tightened around the hilt. He raised it in front of his face, and the silver shone brighter.

“Hope is  _ not _ lost. We can fight the shades. And we can still learn from the sages. Kairi’s grandmother said to find them in the Royal Gardens. Even if the sages are gone, maybe there’s something there that will help us.”

“We know of the Gardens,” the knight said. “Once a part of Unn’s land, then belonging to the sages. But it will be of no use to you. Those caves are infested with Mantises. That tribe took over after the sages’ disappearance. They are vicious beasts, and we have not been able to reclaim the Gardens.”

The knight stepped forward so they towered over the trio. Sora held their gaze. He and his friends had come too far to be frightened off course.

“Hmm.” The Moss Knight stroked their leafy mantle as they stared down at Sora. “You may not be warriors like the others, but perhaps you are a different kind of knight. Someone who can face the kingdom’s darkness. There is another place you can go. Continue on the Pilgrim’s Way until you reach the Fog Canyon. The Archives are at the heart of misty caves. It is not within our borders, so we cannot take you there.”

“Thank you,” Sora said. Hope rose in his chest, it made him want to jump and shout. Their journey wasn’t over yet. He bowed his head to the knight, and Kairi and Riku followed. The Moss Knight nodded once before returning to the overgrowth. 

“We shall let you go this time, Pure Nail’s chosen. But do not trespass in the land of Unn again,” their voice rang out as a final farewell.

*

The trio retraced their steps back to the overgrown road. They found the bench structure again. Sora sighed with relief. They’re journey so far had had too many risky encounters. A little rest would be nice, but what he really wanted was to lie on his bed back home. When this was over, he was going to take a nice long nap.

He made for the bench, but Kairi caught his arm. “Wait,” she whispered. “I feel something again.”

“Like with the Mosskins? You sensed them somehow,” Sora murmured back. He tried to stay calm, but the frustration kept rising. Another obstacle to add to their list. First the shades, then the Mosskins. Would they  _ ever _ stop running into trouble?

Kairi nodded. “It’s something large. I think it’s been following us for a while, I there’s just so much life around us I haven’t noticed.”

“Can you tell which way it is?” Maybe they could just sneak past. The overgrowth was thick enough to hide in.

“Um.” Kairi closed her eyes. Her brow furrowed, and her antennae wiggled. When she opened her eyes again, Sora thought he saw a flash of blue in their depths. “Further back on the road. It’s coming the way we came from the Crossroads.”

Behind him and Kairi, Sora heard Riku draw in a deep breath. He turned around. His friend’s eyes were closed and nail raised.

“Riku, what are you doing?”

“We can’t afford any more setbacks. You guys get to the Archives. I’ll draw this thing off.” He didn’t wait for their response before starting off back toward the Crossroads.

“Riku, you promised!” Kairi said. She grabbed his hand and held him fast. “We go together! We’ll face this  _ together!” _

Riku pulled out of her grasp. He cast a glance back at his friends and flashed an apologetic smile.

_ “Riku!” _ Sora and Kairi yelled, but he ran off to confront their pursuer alone. They tried to follow, but neither could ever catch him, and Riku disappeared.


End file.
